This invention relates to the field of communicating computing systems in which a client and a host communicate with one another.
In the field of data processing, graphical user interfaces have become standard, contributing greatly to the ease of use of computing systems. As computational functions become embodied in other devices, even down to the domestic appliance level, such interfaces will be ubiquitous. In particular, at present, most personal computers employ a graphical windowing environment and a desktop or other real-world metaphor for manipulating objects at the user interface. One function that is commonly implemented in such a graphical user interface is the capability of copying or cutting and pasting objects from one application into another. The word object is here used for convenience to mean any type of data-containing object, including text, graphics, sound or any hypermedia.
The possibility of xe2x80x9ccopy and pastexe2x80x9d was a revolutionary step in improving efficiency for all computer users. Using a mouse to point to and select information on a screen, one can easily mark objects to be copied to a clipboard in the computer""s storage and subsequently pasted into a different session running on the same computer. It is also possible to send the contents of the clipboard storage from one computer in a network to another, and thus indirectly copy and paste from a session in one computer to another.
In both cases, the material to be copied is passed from the user""s application session to a system-owned clipboard storage area within the computer""s storage. In the first case, it is then retrieved by another application session in the same computer. In the second case, the contents of clipboard storage in a first computer are transferred as a data stream into the clipboard storage of a second computer in the network; from that clipboard storage, an application session in the second computer can retrieve the material using a normal xe2x80x9cpastexe2x80x9d action.
In a first aspect, the present invention provides a communications system comprising: client apparatus comprising a pointer, a control program in communication with first wireless apparatus adapted to transmit pointer movement and selection signals, and first means responsive to said selection signal for communicating information content between said client apparatus and a host apparatus; and host apparatus comprising a display, a control program in communication with second wireless apparatus adapted to receive said pointer movement and selection signals from said client apparatus, means responsive to said signals for locating and selecting one or more positions on said display, and second means responsive to said selection signal for communicating information content between said client apparatus and said host apparatus.
The communications system of the first aspect is preferably further characterised in that said area of content comprises one or more objects.
The communications system of the first aspect is preferably further characterised in that said selection signals comprise area selection signals to select an area of content on said display, whereby said area of content is selected for communication from said host to said client.
Preferably, the communications system is further characterised in that said selection signals comprise insertion point selection signals to select an insertion point on said display, whereby said insertion point is used to mark a location for insertion of content communicated from said client to said host.
Also, a communications system as described is preferably further characterised in that said pointer movement and selection signals are generated responsive to movements of a pointer device, or to keyboard keystrokes, or to actions carried out on a touchscreen.
It is preferred that a communications system as described is further characterised in that said wireless apparatus comprises IrDA apparatus.
In a second aspect, the present invention provides client apparatus comprising: a pointer; a control program in communication with a wireless apparatus adapted to transmit pointer movement and selection signals; and means responsive to said selection signal for communicating information content between said client apparatus and a host apparatus.
In a third aspect, the present invention provides host apparatus comprising: a display; a control program in communication with a wireless apparatus adapted to receive pointer movement and selection signals from a client apparatus; means responsive to said signals for locating and selecting one or more positions on said display; and means responsive to said selection signal for communicating information content between a client apparatus and said host apparatus.
The apparatus of the second and third aspects is preferably further characterised in that said wireless apparatus is IrDA apparatus.
In a fourth aspect, the present invention provides a method for communicating information content using wireless apparatus in a communications system, the method comprising the steps of: transmitting, by a client, pointer movement and selection signals; receiving, by a host, said pointer movement and selection signals; responsive to said pointer movement signals and selection signals, locating and selecting one or more positions on a display at said host; and responsive to said selection signal, communicating information content between said client and said host.
In a fifth aspect, the present invention provides a computer program for a communications system comprising computer program steps for: causing a client to transmit by wireless means pointer movement and selection signals to a host; responsive to said pointer movement signals and said selection signals, causing said client and said host to locate and communicate by wireless means information content between said client and said host.
In a sixth aspect the present invention provides a computer program for a communications system comprising computer program steps for: causing a host to receive by wireless means pointer movement and selection signals from a client; responsive to said pointer movement signals and said selection signals, causing said client and said host to locate and communicate by wireless means information content between said client and said host.
The invention provides ways of transferring data preferably in clipboard format from a host computer to a physically separate client without the use of a predefined set of network connections or cabling, and without an active sending action on the part of a user of the host computer. There are, for example, many situations in which the invention can be used to acquire data from a host computer and store it in a physically separate, handheld device (a personal digital assistant, or PDA, for example) for later use, either within the PDA, or on some other target computer. For example, the invention can be used to store displayed information from a screen at a public library or at an exhibition for later retrieval, without having to set up and define the network connections between the host computer and a PDA.